BBE Vinilo y CD

Review: Some four months after he lost his battle with cancer, BBE is releasing Paul 'Trouble' Anderson's final production - a fittingly joyous, upbeat and life-affirming cover of gospel standard "Happy Day" featuring the impassioned vocals of soul singer John Redmond. On the A-side of this 12" edition you'll find the "Classic Main Mix", a bouncy and rubbery fusion of soaring gospel vocals, bumping house beats, mazy organ solos, rubbery disco bass and clipped guitar riffs. It's superb all told, and a fitting final hurrah from one of the UK's most significant DJs of the past 40 years. Over on the flip you'll find the slightly more stripped-back "Classic Dub", where impassioned vocal snippets ride Anderson's killer groove, bouncy pianos and spacey synths.

Review: So many of the compilations that BBE put out are vital history lessons as well as great listening experiences. This one is another case in point as it finds music historian, DJ and daytime party promoter John Armstrong - who has put together more than 200 compilations - digging deep to offer up an alternate take on the famous bubblegum sounds that came out of Black South Africa towards the end of the apartheid years. Yebo! Rare Mzansi Party Beats from Apartheid's Dying Years is a superb showcase of diverse sounds created by the youth of the day as a means of escape. There is already talk of a second volume, which we're very much ready for after hearing this one.

Review: Capturing the essence and feels of the long-standing event he runs in his Swiss hometown of Lausanne, veteran digger and selector Attias presents a brand new compendium of sweet compositions that sum up he's at creatively and spiritually. Gems on gems on gems: highlights that we guarantee will appeal to your good tastes and dancefloor include the hypnotic vibraphone wash of Cro-Magnon's "Midnight Magic", the slept-on jittering funk of Tatham, Mensah, Lord & Ranks's "Cascade" and Material and Nona Hendrix's ludicrously funky, ultimately sleazy slinker "Over & Over". We suspect you'll be playing this record over and over, too...

Review: Veteran producer, selector and all round champion of impeccable grooves Alex Attias is back on BBE with a second volume of his "Lillygood Party" collection. These are some seriously tasteful jams skirting house but with an emphasis on soul. Peven Everett sounds resplendent on Stacy Kidd's "How Bad I Want Ya" while The Elements Of Life's "Children Of The World" is a soaring slice of jazz funk strapped to a smooth house beat. There's even Pharoah Sanders jamming his sax over a peppy rhythm section and spiritually charged house meanderings from Universal Tongues featuring Elle. It's a collection that surprises and satisfies at every turn.

Review: Roy Ayers staked a bold claim by flaunting the fact that he had 'Reach[ed] The Highest Pleasure' back in June '77. Unfortunately for us back then, this lifetime hedonistic milestone - documented in instrumental funk form - was shelved for reasons unknown beyond simple artistic oversight. As said, this slick solo instrumental for drums, bass and vibraphone is a perfect soul-jazz, chillout trifecta, one for the rarities collectors.

Review: The legendary Roy Ayers has a wealth of great material to his name but Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981 might just be the cream of the crop. It's packed with gold that fuses soul and funk, jazz and disco into a load of killer cuts that never got their own release. There are husky vocal tracks featuring Merry Clayton on "Oh What A Lonely Feeling," "I Really Love You" and "What's the T?", sensual soul stirrers from Carla Vaughn such as "Mystic Voyage" and "Together Forever" and of course liquid synths and rhythm sections underpinning each of the tracks.

Review: Massive reissue incoming! BBE have answered many of our prayers with this long awaited repress of Roy's 1983 disco funk excursion "Silver Vibrations". A record that's currently fetching triple figures, this is the first time it's been repressed since it was released. Opening with the iconic whispered message of "Chicago", Roy takes us on a trip through his funkiest of quarters; the salubrious slap bass of "Lots Of Love", the Afrobeat staccato vocals and glock rocking vibrancy of "Silver Vibrations" and the dreamy cosmic jazz trip of "DC City" are just some of the highlights, all shared across the 12"s with no more than two tracks per side. Vibes that can't be slept on.

Review: With a sound that was honed in Las Vegas, there's a distinct showbiz flavour to west coast funk band Breakaway. Disbanded in 1980, this is the band's long-lost debut LP, and it's full of surprises and stunning moments of mesmerising production. For example; "My Symphony" comes on strong like an ABBA record while the track before it - "Everything's Been Said About You" - comes with a smoky Hendrix style riff while the track that follows it - "There's A New Group In Town" - is a psychedelic funk jam. With a tight sense of musicianship and funk throughout, Breakaway were truly unique and, thanks to BBE, their work is about to get the attention it deserves.

Review: Altera Vita is a remarkable duets recording featuring the talents of Kofi and Alina Bzhezhinska, who display their mastery of their respective instruments while also handling percussion duties. The album opens with the serene 'Tabula Rasa-Blank Slate,' setting the pace for a collection of six perfectly paced tracks that exude soul and spirituality. Kofi's well-timed explosions of power, particularly on 'Audite Me-Hear Me,' complement Bzhezhinska's fluid and water-like flow throughout the album, notably on 'Anima-Breathe.' While the album pays homage to jazz legends John and Alice Coltrane, it's primarily a tribute to the late Pharoah Sanders, evident in Kofi's composition 'Altera Vita (for Pharoah Sanders).' Originally released as a single, the album expands on this theme, delivering a powerful and moving masterpiece that honors the tradition of jazz spirituality. With its profound depth and emotional resonance, 'Altera Vita' stands as a respectful tribute to the enduring legacy of jazz legends.

Review: BBE has delivered something of a future classic here, as decorated Eastern European harpist Alinha Bzhezhinska and British tenor saxophonist Tony Kofi join forces on a picturesque full-length excursion dedicated to the memory of spiritual jazz maestro Pharoah Saunders. It's a genuinely unique and hugely evocative affair, with Kofi's meandering, mesmeric melodies and inspired improvisations snaking in and out of Bzhezhinska's dreamy harp motifs and melodic percussion instruments (think bells, marimbas, vibraphone, xylophone and so on). It's not a familiar musical palette, but it's one that consistently delivers - and then some. Our picks of a very strong bunch include lucid opener 'Tabula Rasu - Blank Slate', the exotic and psychedelic 'Audite Me - Hear Me', and the picturesque, meditative closing cut, 'Altera Vita - Another Life'.

Review: For the latest volume in their Foundations series on BBE, Kai Alce and DJ Spinna have decided to reissue one of the finest records from the earliest days of Chicago house, Chip-E's spellbinding 1985 anthem "Like This". This seven-inch edition features a fresh edit of Chip-E's original cub mix on the A-side. This version is essential largely because of the quality of K-Joy's impeccable vocal, though the re-mastered sound also makes Chip-E's crunchy Roland drum machine hits, bold synth-bass and spacey lead lines sound better than ever. Turn to the flip for the heavy and stripped-back "DDD Dub" version, which makes more use of the short "Like This" vocal, which was originally provided by the Godfather of House himself, Frankie Knuckles.

Review: Techno veteran, DJ, composer, producer and notorious jazz lover Kirk Degiorgio explores both modal and seventies fusion sounds on this new full-length album project for BBE. Session drummer Chris Whitten brings some high-quality stick work to this album alongside Kirk's own signature vintage synth work, heavy percussive breaks and funk-fuelled future grooves. It's an album inspired by the great Library works of the 70s and 80s which, says Kirk, allows him to be "able to express ideas and thoughts in a maximum of two minutes at a time." It is creatively free and musically accomplished, as you would expect from this great British artist.

Review: 'Strata Records: The Sound Of Detroit Volume 1' is a careful yet exquisite collection of soul, funk and jazz classics from Detroit's rich musical history, throwing back to a time before techno took the Motor City by storm. DJ Amir has curated a diverse selection of songs from the Strata Records catalog, showcasing the label's extensive roster of artists (the likes of Kenny Cox, The Soulmates, and Charles Mingus), and in some cases restoring tracks whose recordings have suffered a loss of quality over the years, for an ultimately soul-bearing listen.

Review: Japan's revered DJ Muro has put together his first ever compilation for BBE. Diggers Dozen is a real gem with 12 tracks of Japanese jazz-funk and Latin-jazz goodness that fuse traditional instrumental with traditional melodies. These tunes were originally made for the 70s for Nippon Columbia by legendary composers of the time such as Kiyoshi Yamaya, Tadaaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys, Kifu Mitsuhashi, Toshiyuki Miyama and more. Finding these cuts on their original pressings is rare and expensive so don't sleep on this real collector's essential.

Review: This year BBE will be offering up plenty of funk, soul and boogie gems from the vast vaults of Nigerian label Tabanisi Records. This, though, is an altogether different beast: a new pressing of a barely known 1986 recording of the investiture ceremony of an Eze-Nri king - a ritual that has sporadically been carried out by members of the Nri Kingdom for well over a thousand years (and possibly even longer). It makes for fascinating listening and consists of little more than infectious drum rhythms, occasional chants, and occasional hypnotic melodies played on a hand-made wooden flute. The music itself is highly rhythmic - as you'd expect - and rooted in traditions that could well pre-date Christianity.

Review: The Grasso is greener in Bologna: home to two of the most well-connected collectors in Italy. Suppliers to the likes of Kenny Dope, Phil Asher and Dimitri, Gino and Federico have carved their crate craft to insane levels over the last 30+ years... As shown on this detailed, widescreen boogie, funk and disco collection for BBC. Splattering the vibrant collection with a handful of their own edits (TB Funk's salubrious struts on "Free Blow", fly-by boogie falsettos on Living Color's "Plastic People"), the Grasso bro's have put together a package that's eye-opening, enlightening and damn fine to party to. See you on the other side.

Review: BBE's J Jazz masterclass continues unabated with this holy grail issue from Hideyasu Terakawa and his quartet, including Hirosji Fuji in the line-up. This album of live recordings was originally released in 1978 as a private press affair in numbers as low as 100 copies, but now it's been given the ceremonial presentation it deserves. The music is actually a range of covers, as Terakawa and co reinterpret works from US composers such as Wayne Shorter, Frank Foster and Milt Jackson and Jimmy Heath. It's a superlative set loaded with feeling and all the more magic for knowing it was all laid down live, in the moment.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, product unopened & in excellent condition***


BBE's J Jazz masterclass continues unabated with this holy grail issue from Hideyasu Terakawa and his quartet, including Hirosji Fuji in the line-up. This album of live recordings was originally released in 1978 as a private press affair in numbers as low as 100 copies, but now it's been given the ceremonial presentation it deserves. The music is actually a range of covers, as Terakawa and co reinterpret works from US composers such as Wayne Shorter, Frank Foster and Milt Jackson and Jimmy Heath. It's a superlative set loaded with feeling and all the more magic for knowing it was all laid down live, in the moment.

Review: Since launching two years ago, Tony Higgins and Mike Peden's J-Jazz series has become an indispensable guide to Japan's modern jazz scene. The third volume continues in a similar vein to its predecessors, gathering together sought-after, overlooked and little-known cuts from across the jazz spectrum (think spiritual, modal, fusion, post-bop and Latin), all of which were recorded by Japanese artists in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. The standard of music is, somewhat predictably, breathtakingly high throughout, with highlights including the weighty post-modal bop of Koshuke Mine's 'Morning Tide', the sun-kissed Brazil-inspired brilliance of Hideo Shiraki's 'Groovy Samba', and a string of funk-fuelled, dancefloor-friendly workouts from Hiroshi Murakami & Dancing Sphynx, Shigeharu Muka and the Ryojiro Furusawa Quartet.

Review: Once unsung but now enjoying a revitalised career as a compiler and curator, Paul Hillery began his musical journey as a tour DJ for The Polyphonic Spree. But even long before this, he'd a niche knack for tracking down obscure musical gems. The breadth of his curatorial talents are demonstrated once again on We Are The Children Of The Setting Sun, which has no explicit genre focus but sonically segues through folk, psychedelia, and new age obscurities - and only ones with the utmost pristine sound at that. From the beauteous harmonic dulcimers of Graeme Gash to the closing Chicago Soul paeans of Reggio McLaughlin, we're urged to "drop out to the musical pulse that unites us all."

Review: Here's an intriguing remix choice by Pepe Bradock, Coda Deep and Ame: 'Big Booty Express' channels hot-footed twerkage into scratchy yet weighty house beats, over the course of four exclusive mixes on 12". The original beat, which also appears here, was a solid and rather crude piece of space-age lo-fi, filled with Dilla-ey noise wreckage. It was the only Dilla beat to ever come about as a tribute to Detroit techno. And for that, the three remixes lend completely new ideas to the original, tooting and farting into a nice n' raw ether.

Review: Dilla's "The Shining" serves as a testament to the fact that legends never die. On February 10th, 2006, the world of hip hop lost J Dilla aka Jay Dee. James "J Dilla" Yancey leaves behind an impression on hip hop that will last the test of time. A bridge between hip hop's underground and mainstream, Dilla's contributions ranged from single handedly defining Detroit hip hop as a founding member of Slum Village to providing his production talents to Common, D'Angelo, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, The Roots, Janet Jackson and Macy Gray. "The Shining" marked the reunion of J Dilla & BBE, who had released "Welcome 2 Detroit", J Dilla's debut album. "The Shining" serves as showcase of J Dilla's talents which features him not only as a producer, but also as a rapper, singer and musician. Featured guests on this album include Busta Rhymes, Common, Pharoahe Monch, D'Angelo, Madlib, Black Thought, Medaphor aka MED, and Guilty Simpson.

Notes: BBE Music is thrilled to present J Jazz: Free and Modern Jazz From Japan 1954-1988, a remarkable large-format book covering some of the deepest, rarest, and most innovative jazz music released anywhere in the post-war era. Compiled by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden, co-curators of BBE Music’s acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series, the book also features a foreword by Japanese jazz icon, Terumasa Hino.

This is the first time a book of this type has been has been published outside of Japan and the first anywhere of this size and scale. It is a unique collection of over 500 albums of free and modern jazz recorded and released in Japan during a period of radical transformation and constant reinvention. An era that saw Japan return from the ravages of World War Two to become a global economic power and emerge as both a technological leader and an international cultural force.

Through a unique gallery of albums, J Jazz charts the development of jazz in Japan from the first stirrings of the modern jazz scene in the mid to late 1950s and on through the hard bop and modal jazz of the 1960s. It steers the reader into the radical directions of the 1970s when free jazz, fusion, post-bop, and jazz-funk opened up a growing number of Japanese jazz artists to a new global audience before consolidating in the mid to late 1980s with a musical scene that laid the path for the contemporary jazz generation to follow.

Over 500 full-colour sleeves from many of the leading names in Japanese jazz sit alongside rare and private pressings that tell a story of constant change and musical exploration. J Jazz includes profiles of several leading record labels such as East Wind, Frasco, King Records, and Nippon Columbia as well as critical independents such as Three Blind Mice, ALM, and Aketa’s Disk. J Jazz includes interviews with celebrated jazz photographer Tadayuki Naito, and pianist Tohru Aizawa, bandleader on the totemic spiritual jazz album, Tachibana Vol 1, as well as free-jazz record collector and jazz musician Mats Gustafsson.

The book also features a chapter on albums by non-Japanese artists that only received a Japanese release, with collectible, rare, and obscure releases by figures such as Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, and Art Blakey. J Jazz includes Japanese jazz charts from some of the world’s leading jazz DJs including Gilles Peterson, Toshio Matsuura, Paul Murphy, and Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino. Among the specialist content is a feature on obi strips by record dealer and Japanese jazz expert, Yusuke Ogawa, plus a special article on Japanese Blue Note albums.

Across its 300-plus pages, J Jazz includes a detailed introduction contextualising the music, tracing the story of Japan’s fascination with jazz back before the war. It also features biographical information on many of the key artists involved in shaping the post- war Japanese jazz scene including Sadao Watanabe, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masahiko Togashi, Terumasa Hino, Yosuke Yamashita, Fumio Itabashi, Masayuki Takayanagi, Takeo Moriyama, Isao Suzuki, and many more.

Review: Swiss label Delta Production originally released J&F Quintet's Contrast album back in 1976. It has since become a highly collectible and rare Swiss jazz gem with mint copies going for upwards of L350. For the recording sessions, founding band members Stefan Schneller, Donat Beer and Toni Scha?dler were joined by drummers Gieri Bievi and Peter 'Huck' Hug and bassist Andri A Piorta. Their take on jazz fuses Swiss-Romansh traditions to cook up something in a sound world of its own. Sadly this was the only album the group ever recorded before going off to work on solo projects.

Review: Most people will recognize Brian Jackson as the most important collaborator with Gil Scott-Heron - between them the pair laid down a mesmerising new kind of soul which resonates in its influence and brilliance to this day. Jackson went on to work with scores of legends of Black American music, but this new album is something altogether his own. Working with Daniel Colias from Phenomenal Handclap Band, Jackson revived a long-dormant solo project from the 70s and brought it to fruition in a set of ascendant soul cuts which speak to Jackson's mighty legacy while offering something wholly contemporary. 'All Talk' bursts with jazz funk and boogie flourishes, while 'Path to Macondo / Those Kind of Blues' takes a more introspective trip into Jackson's illustrious musicality. Forget reissue culture for a minute - here's a bonafide legend still doing it in the here and now.

Review: This new Brian Jackson package 'Miami Wata' brings together traditional African sounds and modern Latin house music in a captivating fashion. Jackson's rendition of a traditional African song draws on the sacred lands of the Dogan in Mali and the rich rhythms of Ghana, paying tribute to all the different African cultures that have made for such a diverse tapestry of world music. The original comes with serval remixes, dubs and cosmic reworks from the one and only Body & Soul man Joe Claussell who takes it into all new but equally spiritual realms. It makes for an epic double 12" from BBE.

Review: Jasper The Vinyl Junkie is back on BBE just 20 years after his last compilation as part of the label's 25th-anniversary celebrations. Vinyl Junkie Thangs is another first-class, full flavour collection of good-time jams, cool grooves and plenty in between. Most fo the tunes here are funk-filled, jazzy cuts and edits that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else, especially for affordable prices. Some of the tunes such as those from Mr Scruff and OPOLOP have never before been on wax, while firm favs like Fred Wesley, The Fatback Band and DTrain's Hubert Eaves cannot fiat to win you over.

Review: Rubbing shoulders with DJ Amir and 180 Proof Records, BBE Music present this celebratory compilation, fawning over the Strata Records' best and brightest releasees. 'Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova' hears DJ Amir and Jazzanova shed the work of a Detroit jazz great into something much newer and fresher, through incredible nu-jazz retakes on classic Motor City standards from the likes of Lyman Woodard and Malauwi.

Review: Jazzanova remains one of the most musically astute and adventurous acts in the electric scene. Their sounds never seem to age and fuse everything from jazz to funk to soul. That makes them perfect for remixing by more dance floor-orientated producers and that is what we get here. Alongside an original tune 'Creative Musicians' Detroit talent Waajeed brings his warm machine soul and deep grooves, Henrick Schwarz's signature melodic majesty and serene sounds are on display and further dubs and instrumentals are also included. This one really packs a punch for fans of broken beat.

Review: Next up for BBE is a package of remixes that invites several key artists to add their own spin to Jazzanova's superb reimagining of Sam Sanders's iconic 'Face at my Window'. Kyoto Jazz Massive are first to tackle the single which first appeared on 'Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova' and bring some intimate jazz clubs vibes. After a Yoshi edit and version with vocalists Sean Haefli, musclecars bring a touch of New York and Chicago house classicism to their version. Both remixers bring new perspective to this timeless classic.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Strata Records is one of the most important notches in Detroit's jazz heritage. From Lyman Woodard Organization's Saturday Night Special to Malauwi's self-titled LP, their short catalogue was nonetheless vital. BBE have revisited the label with reissues in the past, and now they've invited nu jazz scene leaders Jazzanova to re-imagine some of the cuts from the Strata archives in their own fusion style. From Woodard classics like 'Joy Road', 'Creative Musicians' and 'Saturday Night Special' to Malauwi's 'Root in 7/4 Plus', these are seminal works approached with care and flair by a band who have undoubtedly proved themselves worthy over the years.

Review: Enja Records was founded in Munich in the early 70s by jazz devotees Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber. Given a co-sign by the always on-point BBE and IF Music founder Jean-Claude, the label is now enjoying a retrospective compilation which seeks to celebrate the best of their golden years. Featuring performances by John Stubblefield, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Don Cherry, Cecil McBee and Pharoah Sanders collaborator Marvin Hannibal Peterson to name but a few, this collection provides a great jumping-off point for Enja's rich and diverse back catalogue. It may only be an introduction to a vast pool of music, but it's curated with authority by a dedicated head, so you know you're getting a shortcut to the best the label has to offer.

Review: IF Music's name is legendary amongst those in the know and now Jean Claude celebrates that with another superb compilation on BBE. Across this beautiful gatefold vinyl release, there are nine next level jazz tunes from the likes of Emanative & Liz Elensky, Sylvain Kassap, Greetje Bijma Kwintet and Atilla Engin Group. This is the ninth release in the 'You Need This' series and the music on it ranges from 1980 to the present day. It all adds up to a wonderfully coherent release that takes you through four decades of stylish jazz.

Review: Almost entirely ignored at the time of its original release, Nigerian drumming maestro Remi Kabaka's legendary original LP Son Of Africa has gone down in legend as the defining solo statement of an incendiary drummer, whose contributions to music across the jazz and rock spectrums is credited and felt strongly to this day. A founding member of Afro-jazz band Osibisa, Kabaka is credited for his work with many a Rolling Stone and Beatle, but it's his solo work on this Afro-funk rare gem that really gets the least easy to please among us going. An Afrofuturist statement to the core, its jubilant vocal chants and defiant trumpet lines are but mere pepperings over the boxy, banging body that is Kabaka's live Afrobeat quads.